1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to panel joints, and more specifically to panel joints for joining a metallic panel member to a non-metallic panel member, such as wood.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Metallic panel members are often required to be joined together with non-metallic panel members, such as wood or imitations thereof, to form a room or cubicle, and it is essential that the joining hardware be concealed. Thus, the joining hardware must be applied to the back sides of the panels, i.e., those surfaces outside of the cubicle. Further, these applications may require the room or cubicle to be assembled within a space which denies direct access to the back sides of the panels, once they are placed in an upstanding adjacent position preparatory to the joining step. An example of such an application is the assembly of a wood elevator cab having metallic return posts and metallic door strike jambs on a platform in the hatch or hoistway of a building. The panels which form the cab are located about one inch from the sides of the platform, and the platform is usually so close to the walls of the hoistway that an assembler would find it difficult or impossible to work between the panels and the hoistway walls. Typical spacings between the platform and hoistway walls are two inches between the platform and front and back walls, and eight inches between the platform and the side walls.
A common prior art arrangement for joining metallic panel members to non-metallic panel members utilizes screws, and thus the metallic panel members must be joined to the non-metallic members before placing them on the elevator platform, in order to gain access to the locations of the screws. The use of screws may also result in joints which are not as tight as desired, especially after the elevator cab has been subjected to vibration during usage thereof, as the wood cabs with metallic strike jambs and posts are assembled at the factory, disassembled for shipment, and reassembled on the elevator car platform in the hatch, using the same screw holes used at the factory.
It would thus be desirable to provide a new and improved panel joint for assembling metallic panel members to non-metallic panel members which enables the panel members to be quickly and tightly joined with a joint which is uniform and tight along its complete length. Further, the joint must be such that it will stay tight during usage, even when subjected to movement, such as in the hereinbefore-mentioned elevator cab application.
Still further, the panel joint must permit assembly in locations which have very little space adjacent to the back sides of the panels, with the panel members being quickly joined without requiring skewing or turning of the panels, and without requiring an assembler to be positioned adjacent to the back sides of the panels.